| Welcome, all of you, to Islinne Weyr. First of all, I'd like to say congratulations on being Searched. It's an honor not given to many people. Congratulations also to those who applied to the Weyrleaders for Candidacy. Few have the courage to address some of the most powerful people on Pern. Finally, congratulations to the weyrbred who have reached the age of Candidacy and decided they want to be dragonriders. Some of you may even have been Candidates before. Please listen patiently, although you'll already know some of what we're about to say. |
| Please remember that being a Candidate doesn't mean you'll Impress automatically. There are far more Candidates than Eggs. We Search more Candidates to give the Dragonets as wide a choice as possible; we don't do it because we like to see disappointed Candidates left on the Sands. That hurts, but I've seen many a rejected Candidate Impress on their second, third, sometimes even fifth or sixth try. |
| Between now and the Hatching, you are going to hear all kinds of positive and negative talk or bets. Ignore it! Nobody can tell just what will occur at any Hatching. In fact, only two things can ever be predicted for any Hatching, the rest is up to the Dragonets. |
| What're the two predictable things? Number one, a queen egg will always hatch a gold dragonet. Number two, Dragonets will Impress. That's it. Nothing else is certain. So ignore people who say you won't Impress. They don't know what they're talking about. |
| About the bets that you might hear going around. Not only should you ignore them, but don't let me catch wind you've joined in! No candidate is to bet on the Hatching. Am I understood? |
| These are your first Weyr badges. The etched symbol of a clutch is on the front. This marks you as a Candidate. They attach to you clothing. These badges must be worn at all times. The only time you do not wear it is at the actual Hatching. Don't let anyone, especially me, catch you without your badge. |
| Gold Candidates are going to be given a similar badge, but with gold engraving. You can hand in this regular one when you get the other one. The Weyrwoman will be giving gold Candidates additional instructions, as well as their special badge. Even if you're a gold Candidate, you still have to come to my classes and pay heed to me. I'm giving you the main instructions for your time as a Candidate. |
| Today, after this meeting, you will be fitted for your Candidates' robes. These robes are white and are to remain white. As soon as you receive the correctly fitted robe, you are to go to the Candidates' Barracks and put the robe in you clothes chest... carefully. After the Hatching all robes will be returned to me, regardless of whether you Impressed or not. If you feel you are an exception to this rule, come see me after you receive your robe. |
| Until Hatching, all of you will help around the Weyr. Cleaning, cooking, sewing, child care, beast care, and other tasks are abundant here. If you haven't already been assigned a task, see me. There will be no shirking of duties here. When I catch wind, and I certainly will, of any duties being shirked, or of a Candidate not having a duty, I'll hunt you down. If you don't have a note with a Healer's excuse or a Weyrleadership excuse, you'll be doing tasks far worse than the ones you'd have been assigned. |
| If you are a crafter and wish to continue in your craft duties, see me privately for specific instructions regarding your candidacy. Please remember that candidates are mine first, the weyrwoman's second, and a crafter's third. There are few exceptions, and only if they have seen me previously. |
| If you are left on the sands, after the Hatching, you are to report to me or Headwoman. We will take care of you. And if you need somebody to talk to, you can come to one of us. |
| Under no circumstance are the unImpressed candidates to be tormented, in any way. We will have no bullying, teasing, or anything else that insults or upsets someone else. I certainly won't stand for it, and I can tell you that if I have to report a bully to the Weyrleadership, they'll be extremely upset. They have enough to do without looking after a selfish unfeeling brat. |
| Shortly before the Hatching date, you'll all be taken into the Hatching Grounds to touch the eggs. I encourage you to touch as many or few as you like. No kicking, hitting, or otherwise damaging those eggs. If that happens, I'll let the Weyrleader have you, and he's not partial to being interrupted for destructive brats. No goofing off at all while in the Hatching grounds, at any time. |
| No one, absolutely no one, is to touch that queen egg! Even the gold Candidates are not to touch it without the Weyrwoman present. The Weyrwoman will be bringing in the gold Candidates separately for that. It will be before the rest of us get to go in, so the gold Candidates will not be coming in with the rest of us. If anyone even gets too close to the gold egg while we're in there for the Touching, the queen will let you know. |
| During the Touching you are permitted everyday wear, the same as when you are performing tasks around the Weyr. The only times you need wear special clothing are for formal occasions and for the Hatching. Remember only the white robe at the Hatching, not even shoes, hair bands, or badges. |
| When the Hatching begins, before you're even on the sands, the dragons will start to hum. That's your cue to get into your Candidates' robes as quickly as possible and meet at the Candidates' Barracks. I'll lead you in a double lined procession onto the Grounds. The gold Candidates will be in the front of the procession. The rest of you will be lined up, in pairs, in name order. Before the Hatching, you'll all have your line assignments. |
| When you get on the sands, I'll be breaking away and leading the gold Candidates further on, to the queen egg. Every one else will form a loose semi-circle around the eggs. You are to leave the area between the general clutch and the queen egg clear. This is so that the girls who don't Impress the queen have a chance to Impress a fighting dragon. The gold Candidates will form a loose circle around the gold egg. |
| Hatching: When a dragonet breaks shell, no matter the color, they break it one of two ways: all the pieces fall away or they climb/claw their way out. No one is to approach the eggs unless a dragonet falls. If it falls, the closest Candidate to the Hatchling will step forward and help it up. Then he or she will step back into the circle. You will not make eye contact with the Hatchling you help up! |
| Deliberately making eye contact is called "Forcing the Dragonet". Other forms of Forcing are: touching, waving, hollering, pulling, or in any way trying to draw attention to yourself. Forcing is strictly against policy. Not only does it enrage me, but the Queen will probably Force you... right from the Hatching. Anyone who tries to Force a dragonet will be expelled from the Hatching, and not allowed into any others. I hope I'm perfectly clear on this point. |
| Impression: some dragonets break shell knowing just who they want. Others have to get a look at you. Some Hatchlings will make a complete circuit of the Candidates, or on extremely rare occasions, the guests, before they choose their life-mate. As I said before, don't make eye contact. If a dragonet approaches you, you may look at it, but do not force it to make eye contact with you. The dragonet will do that on it's own. You'll know you've Impressed when it happens. The surest clue, though, is that the dragonet will tell you his or her name. |
| Okay, wipe that doubt away right now. Just because the Hatchling has a wide choice doesn't mean you're not going to Impress. You may Impress at this Hatching, you may not. If you don't, you're welcome to try again. You can live right here at the Weyr until you Impress, leave, or become a non-rider inhabitant. Non-riders weren't all put to the egg or some just didn't take. Others were too old to be allowed to stand as a Candidate. You may stay on in any of those capacities, unless you prove that you shouldn't have the privilege of living in a Weyr. |
| Not only do I want you to wipe away your doubts, I want you to break the notion that the "only good" dragonets are the golds and bronzes. That's not true. All dragons are good. All dragons are necessary to a Weyr and to Pern. |
| On the sands, show no fear. Push away any negative thoughts. They don't help you Impress the Dragonets. Project love and welcome to the dragonets. I don't want anyone to turn tail and flee the Hatching, either. If you're scared, be scared, but push the thoughts away until after the Hatching. No one out there's going to hurt you. The queen wouldn't let anyone get hurt at the Hatching of her clutch! If you get rejected, stand tall and proud. After all, you're now a part of a Weyr. |
| You're Dragonet may not have Hatched... yet. Be brave and handle rejection like a Dragon Rider, and I'll be more than happy to put you back on the Sands next time. |
| If you do Impress, guide you hatchling outside to the Weyrbowl. There will be several people there to assist you with feeding and oiling your new friend. Don't let him or her over eat. |
| And please remember that the best dragon is my dragon. |
| That's it. Any questions? |
| **If there is no gold egg, please ignore all references to the gold egg or gold candidates getting special treatment. Thank you.** |
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